Verses 1-6
"My little children, I am writing this to you so that you may not sin:
but if any one does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ
the righteous; and he is the expiation for our sins, and not for ours only
but also for the sins of the whole world. And by this we may be sure that
we know him, if we keep his commandments. He who says 'I know him' but disobeys
his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps
his word, in him truly love for God is perfected. By this we may be sure
that we are in him: he who says he abides in him ought to walk in the same
way in
which he walked."
Right off, John starts by stating, again, his reason of writing: to keep us from sinning. He also reassures us that if we do sin, Jesus Christ paid the price of the sins of the whole entire world. Everybody. Even for those who do not yet believe in Him. John is reminding us to be truthful to ourselves and to trust God. Not trusting God is also a sin. By trusting God more than we trust ourselves, we will not fall into sin. However, if we do not trust God's will, we are often led to temptation. If we do not trust God's will, we are saying that we are more righteous than God, which is SO far from the truth!
By calling Jesus an advocate for us, this is saying that he speaks our case to our Father, because we may be unable to speak our own. Jesus knows what we go through. He lived on this planet and dealt with the temptations, too.
This passage also states that by keeping God's commandments, we will know Him. In other words, by believing, trusting in, and obeying Him, we are walking in the light. If we accept Jesus into our lives, he rids all darkness. He IS the light. When we disobey, we are in darkness. Without Jesus' light, we are unable to see and are bound to stumble and fall.
By being truthful with God, He is able to work within us. If we are not fully on His side, He can not work within us. By living by His word, God is able to bring our love for Him nearer to perfection. By living His word, we can walk in the image of Jesus: we can love as he loved, and act as he acted.
Verses 7-11
Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment which you had from the beginning; the old commandment is the word which you have heard. Yet I am writing you a new commandment, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. He who says he is in the light and hates his brother is in the darkness still. He who says he is in the light and hates his brother is in the darkness still. He who loves his brother abides in the light, and in it there is no cause for stumbling. But he who hates his brother is in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
Since the beginning, God has always told us to obey Him. By not obeying Him, we are sinning. This is why it is called an old commandment. If we God has wanted us to obey Him from the beginning, what John is telling us is not new. God has never changed His love for us. God has never changed what He wants for us. However, John states that he is writing a new commandment. "Why?" you may ask. Because it is now true in us and in Christ. By Christ's life, death, and resurrection, this has been made true. God has united us with His son. We are one with Him. Thus, it is true in both of us. We are reminded that the darkness passes as we are in the light. When we step out of the darkness, it passes us by if we stand strong in the light of God.
We read that if we hate others, or even judge others, we are still in the darkness. To be in the light, we must let God do the judging, and love everybody as God has loved us. By loving others, we realize that in Christ we are the same. We are all able to be made clean again. By knowing this, we are less likely to stumble. Our eyes are opened and we love others as God loves us. By living in the dark, not realizing that others are like us, judging them for their sins, we stumble over our misunderstandings. We do not fully understand the truth in God's word. God guides us through His light. If we turn away from that light, we are going to stumble.
Right off, John starts by stating, again, his reason of writing: to keep us from sinning. He also reassures us that if we do sin, Jesus Christ paid the price of the sins of the whole entire world. Everybody. Even for those who do not yet believe in Him. John is reminding us to be truthful to ourselves and to trust God. Not trusting God is also a sin. By trusting God more than we trust ourselves, we will not fall into sin. However, if we do not trust God's will, we are often led to temptation. If we do not trust God's will, we are saying that we are more righteous than God, which is SO far from the truth!
By calling Jesus an advocate for us, this is saying that he speaks our case to our Father, because we may be unable to speak our own. Jesus knows what we go through. He lived on this planet and dealt with the temptations, too.
This passage also states that by keeping God's commandments, we will know Him. In other words, by believing, trusting in, and obeying Him, we are walking in the light. If we accept Jesus into our lives, he rids all darkness. He IS the light. When we disobey, we are in darkness. Without Jesus' light, we are unable to see and are bound to stumble and fall.
By being truthful with God, He is able to work within us. If we are not fully on His side, He can not work within us. By living by His word, God is able to bring our love for Him nearer to perfection. By living His word, we can walk in the image of Jesus: we can love as he loved, and act as he acted.
Verses 7-11
Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment which you had from the beginning; the old commandment is the word which you have heard. Yet I am writing you a new commandment, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. He who says he is in the light and hates his brother is in the darkness still. He who says he is in the light and hates his brother is in the darkness still. He who loves his brother abides in the light, and in it there is no cause for stumbling. But he who hates his brother is in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
Since the beginning, God has always told us to obey Him. By not obeying Him, we are sinning. This is why it is called an old commandment. If we God has wanted us to obey Him from the beginning, what John is telling us is not new. God has never changed His love for us. God has never changed what He wants for us. However, John states that he is writing a new commandment. "Why?" you may ask. Because it is now true in us and in Christ. By Christ's life, death, and resurrection, this has been made true. God has united us with His son. We are one with Him. Thus, it is true in both of us. We are reminded that the darkness passes as we are in the light. When we step out of the darkness, it passes us by if we stand strong in the light of God.
We read that if we hate others, or even judge others, we are still in the darkness. To be in the light, we must let God do the judging, and love everybody as God has loved us. By loving others, we realize that in Christ we are the same. We are all able to be made clean again. By knowing this, we are less likely to stumble. Our eyes are opened and we love others as God loves us. By living in the dark, not realizing that others are like us, judging them for their sins, we stumble over our misunderstandings. We do not fully understand the truth in God's word. God guides us through His light. If we turn away from that light, we are going to stumble.